20 things that show you have stayed too long in Indonesia

After over three months in Indonesia I started noticing some changes in myself. Some of them are linguistic changes, some are behavioral and others are cultural changes!

Indonesian is a fairly easy language. I cannot have a conversation in Indonesian yet, but I can fluently ask for directions and receive them in Indonesian with total understanding, I can buy stuff, i.e. I know the name of most food products and almost fluent in numbers, takes me just a few moments to translate the number in my head. I can generally pick up words from sentences being said to me to know what we are talking about (in general; sometimes I totally misunderstand what is happening!)

Here I conducted a list of the things that should show you that you have been living in Indonesia longer than you should!

1- You scream “Apa?!” (what?) when you don’t catch what was being said; even if it was said in English or your native language.

2- You shout “AWAS!” instead of “Watch out!” Face it, it is shorter and more fun to say!

“Awas bro…!”

3- You repeat words. “I’ll go walking walking…” – Indonesian language has many words that are repeated, and mean a different thing when repeated than when said once. At first, it starts by making fun of the whole thing, along with Google translate when it translates doubled words, and then it sticks!

4- You generally mix up Indonesian words with whatever second or third language you have tried to learn before, in my case that was Spanish! When I try to think in Spanish now, I make up Indo-Spanglish sentences composed of all three languages and don’t make any sense.

5- You say “yea” a lot. Even after your own words! For example “Makasih yea?” (Thank you yea?)…or if someone says something your reply is just “yea yea” and it is more than enough, it is even used instead of “you’re welcome” as a reply to “Thank you”

Indonesians are BIG on the “yea” culture. Tell them anything and they’ll reply “yea yea”, most of the times it means they did not understand what the heck you are talking about but are too shy to ask. Repeat what you said much slower and using simpler words is the key.

6- You see this as something totally safe and normal.

Motorbike transporting the harvest…you see these in numbers, because of course one motorbike to carry all harvested crops

Family on motorbike – from Flickr user: macloo

Family on Motorbike – from Flickr user: sixintheworld

7- You totally believe that a 115 cc motorbike is faster than any car on the road. Which is, by the way, true with respect to Indonesian roads and traffic…

8- You take off your shoes outside the gate of anything. I generally never used to do this unless there is a sign asking for it; in Indonesia it is a must! Even students take off their shoes outside the classroom!

At my friend’s house in Malang, everyone takes off their shoes outside the doors!

9- You start loving motorbikes more and more, to the extent that you seriously think of buying one when you go back home. Come on, they are so good in traffic, big on saving gas and so easy to park anywhere!

10- You think it is totally fine to have fried rice for breakfast.

11- You know it is cheaper to eat a full meal including meat and/or chicken than buying cheese in a supermarket – if you find any!

12- If you travel between cities frequently, you start knowing your directions using the natural compass (direction of shadow) and mountains; after locating your destination on a map before starting your trip, of course!

13- If you don’t live in Bali or one of the cities that have many tourists/expats in them, you start screaming “Bulai” whenever you see a white person on the street!

14-You are used to saying any number with the word “thousand” at the end. (Check point 15 for further understanding.)

15- You know that one dollar is a lot of money! Heck it is 10,000 Rupiahs! It is a full meal in a local restaurant, with a drink! Multiply that by 10 (10 dollars, you lazy people) and you get a cheap private hotel room, with AC!

16- You stopped pronouncing the “SH” sound, and replaced it with “S.” Most Indonesians cannot pronounce “SH”, so a word like “Finish” is generally pronounced “Finis”…As with point 3, you start saying it just for fun and then it sticks!

17- Your knowledge of Adele songs has increased more than 100%! And you know all the lyrics to “Someone Like You” by heart, because you hear it at least 5 times a day wherever you go!

18- You eat this for breakfast, because that is what is served for breakfast in all restaurants (or it is what they bring me for breakfast at school anyway!)

Breakfast as served from my school in Indonesia

Another day, another breakfast from school…full with chicken that is extremely spicy!

19- You know about many Japanese and South Korean bands, like Super Junior!

20- You own a helmet, even if you don’t own a motorbike! Having a helmet in Indonesia is a must, as even if you don’t drive a motorbike, you must know people who do, and you do get motorbike rides every other day! You have to have a helmet!

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Have you been to Indonesia? Did you notice any changes in your actions or way of thinking about things? Share them with us!

About the author

An Egyptian guy in the early 20s that has a dream of traveling the world, instead of becoming a boring pharmacist. I’m always writing travel tales from a different (Egyptian) point of view, and general travel advice and travel mishaps!

61 Responses to 20 things that show you have stayed too long in Indonesia

I traveled half way around the world to avoid Adele & she’s bloody followed me to Korea & now Taiwan. When will she leave me alone?!

As for rice in the morning, love it. And, for whatever reason whilst in Taiwan I seem to have replace my use of the words, ‘Yes’ ‘Okay’ & ‘Alright’, with a rather curious acknowledging & guttural – ‘Uughh’.

It’s totally true. I never think this one as something that different or interesting. but, after I was reading this blog, I just have “yes” it’s totally true. I am in taiwan now, and one of my foreign friend here told me, that I was saying “apa” a lot, everyday.. when I speak with my Indonesian friend. enjoy it! ^_^

Don’t forget to mention that you think it is completely normal to park your motorbike in your living room. Or when you start to realize that you enjoy azan screaming from local mushola. And using finished food as an ashtray!

[…] 20th, I haven’t left Indonesia since then, staying here for over 4 months now, I certainly did get a feel of Indonesia and life here, and not the life in Bali, as I lived in a small village in Java […]

Indonesian lanaguage is very easy. i stayed in indonesia for 1 year. You can see every girls taking foto with cheezz raising two fingers in every shot. And some words are very funny and vulgar if i translate it in my native langague. for example : Gula (penis/balls), Susu (pee), puti (vagina). First time i went to drink for coffee and there i saw a packet ‘Kofi dengan Susu dan Gula’ which means in my language “Coffee by penis/ball with pee/urine’. Since then i ever felt uneasy drinking that coffee in Indoneisa.

I’m guessing Pankaj’s language is Indian? Not quite sure though. And it’s always funny to know the weird translation of words into other languages! Would make some nice surprises for travelers from those countries 😀

I feel you Marcell! I got addicted to fried rice for breakfast to the extent that in some hotels when given the option between it and other western breakfasts I definitely went for fried rice! 😀 I will definitely have fried rice and tempe withdrawal symptoms now that I’ve left Indonesia 😀

Welcome to Indonesia! I hope you have an enjoyable stay living in Indonesia. Living in Jakarta you definitely will see the modern way people live and how they boast it so much that it becomes absolutely cheesy. I often can’t help snickering at many things! When you stay longer in Indonesia then you’ll understand everything that goes around you that it becomes part of you, even the super cheesy “JAYUS” jokes! I LOVE IT! Sadly you shouldn’t leave Indonesia for too long or else you’ll miss it so bad, especially if you live in central Jakarta. I definitely did get jakarta-city-sick during my long holiday away from Indonesia:)

Thanks Maydeline.
I already left Indonesia after amazing 5 months, not in Central Java, though. I stayed most of the time in East Java, with only a 5 days visit to Jogja. I traveled more eastwards, though, in Bali and Lombok, and almost all over East Java. Sadly I didn’t get the chance to see Jakarta, but next time I definitely will! It just seemed so much for me this time and I only had one day for it, so I just skipped it because it wouldn’t have been enough anyway…

[…] whether you ask them in English, or if you speak Bahasa Indonesia. But, Do Expect that this answer will be a “YAA”, in that case, Do Not Expect that the answer is correct, or has anything to do with the […]

Great blog. Course, the list could be much longer… I’ve stayed in Suroboyo for a year. It took me 3 months after I came back home to Serbia to change my Indo linguistic habits, to get used to the right side driving, to cool down with taking photos and asking people to have a photo with me, to lose 10 kilos I’ve gained in Indo, to stop missing the bike, to stop asking people what they’d had for breakfast, where they were going and where they were “RIGHT NOW”, to sit on a flor, to splash with water frequently…
Actually, thinking about going back round june…

haha 😀 i used to only have my helmet and jacket for the motorbike, and sometimes jeans or shorts, it depends 😀 but I have to say when driving a long distance a jeans was definitely a better idea…or in the rain too 😀

but yes I agree to the face masks…many drivers had them on all the time 😀

I find it hilarious! 😀 I lived for a year in Jawa Tengah. I’d list other things.

You’re living too long in Indonesia if:
* you don’t even notice dead rats and single flip-flops lying by the road
* you can eat in warung by the garbadge dump
* you’re wearing jacket/long sleeves when it’s 30 degrees and it’s not raining
* you are perfectly sure that all the rules of traffic is “there are no rules”
* you start singing a song in a shop or anywhere in the public place
* whenever you want to say “no” you say “not yet”, also in other languages 😀
Those are some examples I thought about.

I’m guilty of some things you mentioned. Adele, helmet, fried rice, yaa. Few months outside of Indonesia and I’m still yaaing 😀

I took my “magicpot” with me back to Europe (3kg in my luggage, oh well).

I knew Korean/Japanese bands earlier. 😉 I don’t think 5 people on the motorbike is safe and normal, but after some time it’s just a shrug of arms.

I didn’t park my motorbike in the living room, but it was inside my kos. 😉 Matej, thanks for reminding me I was surprised at first by parking motors inside the hall. 😀

Its funny to read the post and all the comment. But actually indonesia is really beautiful country but still have much problem with their own citizen. Rubish is everywhere, that’s really matter. They think that only poor and stupid people that catching rubish on the road, rich and aducated people no need to do that ! OMG, what the f*ck with that mainstream. I really want every people here realize that.
Honestly I’m indonesian, I’m living in really beautiful city “bandung”. I want all my friends here keep the place where we live clean. Hope all indonesian read this. Thanks

Well, I’ve never had rice for breakfast, unless I was too lazy and just eating anything left from yesterday 😀 And shoes, it depends on the household to be honest, some people in my country do keep shoes out of the house or at least by the door.
Thank you for your amazing country 🙂

Who is this?

I'm Mina Mahrous, an Egyptian guy in the early 20s that has a dream of traveling the world, instead of becoming a boring pharmacist. I'm always writing travel tales from a different (Egyptian) point of view, and general travel advice and travel mishaps!